Boys Gone Missing
by lostcowgirl
Summary: Several years after Matt's retirement to become a judge his and Kitty's sons disappear. How much danger are they in? A sequel to Die a Little, Live a Lot that covers the years immediately following Season 20.
1. Chapter 1 Adam & John Go Exploring

**Chapter 1 – Adam and John Go Exploring**

Adam Dillon wanted to be treated like the big boy he knew he was. Why should he still have to take naps like his baby sister? His mama already paid more attention to her and she didn't do anything but eat, sleep, make stinky messes and cry. Oh, she was walking but she didn't seem to get anywhere fast. Soon he'd be going to school in town like his big brother and big sister. Meanwhile at five he had things to do besides chores. He went to the barn to get his pony.

Albert Goode, who was busy mending the corral fence where a half-broke stallion had knocked down some of the rails, paid no attention to the small, red-haired boy. It was clear the boy, who was tall for his age, took after his father. Everyone around Dodge City said so. His hair color may have come from his mother, but there was no mistaking that face. He stood on a box and put the halter on the pinto Chief John Eagle Wing had given him for his birthday. It was a small yet sturdy real Indian pony. His mama and pa had given him the rigging and saddle and seen to it that his horse was shod.

If he was going to get away before he was expected back for dinner, Adam had to meet up with his friend John O'Brien, who lived just over the hill, right soon. He pulled the blanket off the stall's rail and put it over Painted Pony's back. Then he grabbed the small saddle that was next to it, placing it on top of the blanket. He tightened the cinch the way his pa, brother and Albert had shown him and then gathered the reins to lead his horse into the open, grabbing his fishing pole from the corner where he'd placed it earlier as he passed. The child-sized rod was a present from Doc Adams, his godfather, or godpa, as he called him, whom Adam believed loved fishing more than anything else. Adam figured it was his way of helping his younger grandson come to love fishing as much as he did. He was just pulling himself into the saddle, using the lowest rail of the corral as a boost so he could reach the stirrup, when Albert looked up from what he'd been doing.

"Where ya off to, Adam? You don't want yer mama to be worryin' 'bout ya, do you?"

"Albert, tell mama I'm gonna play with John. I'll be back for dinner and maybe bring her some fish to cook up."

"I'll tell her. Just you be sure you take someone bigger along with you if you plan to go to the crick," Albert added as Adam started to ride off, knowing Miss Kitty didn't want him straying beyond the hill between the two houses with just John, who was only a few months older.

John met Adam at the bottom of the hill on the O'Brien side. His father, Doc Newly, as he was known, had ridden off to see a patient. He'd parted ways with his older son at the foot of the hill under the impression that John was riding over to the Dillon house where he knew Kitty was at home with Maria, the toddler that had nearly killed her by being born.

"Let's go over toward Saw Log Creek before our mamas find out we're not where we're s'posed to be." I got a hunch there's a great fishin' hole we ain't found yet."

"You sure we should, Adam?" Didn't your brother almost drown in that creek a few years back? I think it was when we were both real little but I heard ma and pa talk about it 'cause there was a big party right after at my house for your pa's birthday and that's all the grownups talked about then and for weeks after. They bring it up every year 'round that time."

"Ah, don't be a scardy cat. It's been dry so the creek's not fast or deep. Our folks need never know."

"Yeah, they will when we bring those fish home," John replied as he rode with Adam toward the water.

The two small boys rode along the shore until they spotted a shady spot around a bend. In addition to the trees, there were handy rocks to lean against and what looked like a deeper pool. It was the farthest either boy had ridden from his house without someone older along. They settled in, baited their hooks and threw their lines in the water. Sure enough, the fish began biting and they soon had a dozen trout to bring home.

They were happy and unaware of anyone watching from across the stream or of any rider approaching on their side. Therefore, as they gathered up their gear and fish to head home a familiar voice startled them.

"Hey, Squirt, John, what are you two doing out here alone?" Adam's big brother Nat asked. "Don't worry, I'll cover for you when we get back. I'll say, even though they'll know there's not enough posts if they stop to think about it, I finished adding barbed wire to the east fence early and decided to take my little brother and his friend fishing with me. You caught enough that we could claim the three of us caught them without arousing suspicion."

None of the boys were aware of the watcher on the opposite shore, but he was close enough to hear them and watch them head home. He now knew the red-haired boy and the tall, gangly youth were brothers and that the other boy was their neighbor. Perhaps one day soon the two brothers would come alone, which would be just perfect for his purposes. He watched as the older one used his knife to clean the fish before they mounted their horses to head home.

The first stop was John's house. All three boys walked into the kitchen and handed half the fish to John's mother Paula O'Brien.

"Nat, I didn't know you'd taken the boys fishing. I thought they were playing by your house."

"Sorry Aunt Paula, I reckon I shoulda let you know. It was kinda a spur of the moment thing."

She accepted the older boy's explanation, but gave him a look that told him she thought he was old enough to know better than to take young boys off to the creek without letting their mothers know.

Leaving John with his mother and little brother Liam, Nat and Adam raced out the door to their horses. In no time they were over the hill and in their own barn. Albert was nowhere to be seen. His horse wasn't in his stall so the boys knew the ranch foreman was busy seeing to his job and would miss eating whatever their mother was cooking. They saw to their horses, grabbed the fish and walked toward the kitchen door. It being summer and a hot day, the inner door was open. The screen door was closed, but unlatched, so they walked inside.

Their sister Abby was at the table shelling peas while their mother put a pot on the stove filled with water to cook them in. Both turned at the sound of the closing door.

"Hi Abs, Ma, Adam and I brought you a mess of trout. Could you fry them up to go with those peas and maybe some taters?"

"Did I hear you say trout?" their father Matt Dillon asked as he strode into the kitchen. "Where did you boys catch trout?"

"Over toward the northeast section where that bend in Saw Log Creek is, Pa. Adam found it."

"Yeah, me and Nat and John spent the morning there and Nat cleaned them before we came home."

"Well, Kitty, looks like we're having trout for dinner thanks to our sons. Boys you'll have to show the rest of the family where this great fishin' spot is."


	2. Chapter 2 A Fishing Surprise

**Chapter 2 - A Fishing Hole Surprise**

School would soon be starting so Nat and Adam rode back to the same spot one afternoon, a couple of days later. They took nothing with them because this time, instead of fishing, they decided to take a swim in the deep pool that had been Adam and John's fishing hole. The brothers stripped down and jumped in the water from a swinging rope that Nat had tied to a tree branch.

The August sun was hot when they came out of the water so it wasn't long before they were dry enough to put their clothes back on. Of course, they didn't simply don their clothes. They pushed and shoved each other as only brothers can while dressing. They were about to put on their boots when a twig snapped behind them. Both boys turned to find a stranger holding the reins to their already saddled horses and his own in his left hand and a pistol pointed directly at Adam's head in the other. He wasn't nearly as tall as their father, but he was at least 25 years younger and all muscle. His curly red hair stuck out from under his Stetson and his cold, blue eyes starred at them from under the brim.

"Boys, if you don't want to see your brains splattered all over the rocks here, you'd best do as I say," he ordered while smiling menacingly. "Start strippin' 'cause yer goin' fer another swim."

The stranger never loosened his hold on the horses nor let his eyes stray from them as he kept the pistol aimed directly at Adam's head. Nat nodded at Adam to obey. The gangling brown-haired youth and the red-haired small boy were soon naked and their clothes were tied in two bundles with their boots in the middle, which the man told them to toss his way. Again they obeyed and watched as their clothes were tied around his saddle horn. The stranger, now mounted, started forward, his pistol still aimed at them, forcing the brothers to turn toward the water and start swimming across. He stopped at the water's edge as they climbed out on the opposite bank, still within pistol range.

Despite the obvious advantage the stranger held, Nat still hoped for a chance to grab for the pistol and their horses when the stranger brought them closer, but instead the man again dropped the reins momentarily and expertly lassoed each boy while never letting the pistol waver. Taking the reins of their horses again, the man tossed a pair of handcuffs to each of them, the smaller one for Adam, indicating they should put them on and snap them shut. Then he threw leg irons to them to put on as well. The man tightened the ropes once the cuffs were in place and swam the horses forward across the pool until he was within a few feet of the boys, the ropes holding them tied securely to his own saddle horn instead of their clothes, which he'd dropped on the ground close by the boys' own mounts. Nat realized there was even less he could do.

"Unsaddle and remove the bridles from your horses and tie your clothes bundle in your saddle blanket, " he instructed loosening the ropes just enough so they could awkwardly obey due to the shackles. "Now loop the bridle and clothes bundle around your saddle horn and pick up your saddle. Yah've got some walkin' ta do," he continued as he slapped their horses and sent them on their way along the far bank. "I got a nice place picked out fer us to become better acquainted. Ain't nobody will spot us unless they know where to look."

Nat and Adam trudged forward under their burden, having no idea where they were headed when he told them to stop. He tossed them a couple of small shovels, one larger than the other, that had been wrapped in what they'd thought was his bedroll and directed them toward the bushes at the side of the trail. They pushed through and found themselves in a small, hidden clearing with another clump of bushes in the center. It was here that their kidnapper, for there was no other word Nat knew of to describe him, told them to dig. An hour later, their clothes and saddles were buried under the bushes in the middle of the clearing. Their captor tightened the ropes again, steering them back toward the trail they'd been following in a northwesterly direction since they left the Saw Creek behind them.

By Nat's estimation, they were now in a spot of open land at the far southeastern edge of the Sanderson ranch, about two miles from where they started. At least he thought they walked that far, judging from how tired he felt and seeing that Adam was about ready to drop where he stood. They might be on open land between the edge of their own and the O'Brien property on the far side of the creek. His folks had never fenced it completely, letting the stream act as a boundary, although they'd put up some posts to mark where their land ended along the east side of Dillon land. The road letting people planning to picnic a way to get to the banks came through on the near side. It was also one of the ways wagons and riders came through from Nebraska to pick up the road from Hays to Dodge that ran by the part of the ranch closest to the house.

Their destination was a cave opening hidden by brush a half mile further on. Next to it another outcropping of rock and bushes hid the spot where their captor told Nat to tether his horse and unsaddle him, substituting a simple rope halter for the bridle so the horse could be tied down in the hidden area. To the casual observer there was nothing and nobody there. Nat glanced at Adam and could see he was trying to hide his fear. Whatever the stranger had planned for them, it wasn't good. At best they would be held for ransom. At worst, they could be dead before anyone at home knew they were missing. If only he'd told someone back home exactly where they were headed. All their ma knew was they were going swimming by the new fishing hole and would be back well before supper.

The man herded them inside, using the ropes around them to steer them to where he wanted and to keep Adam from falling over. Two trees, about a foot apart, grew up through the roof of the cave. The man stopped a yard in front of the smaller one and walked around it toward the far side, pulling on the rope holding Adam as he moved while letting the rope holding Nat remain a bit slack. When he'd made a circuit of the tree, he yanked on the rope, shoving Adam hard against it, knocking the wind out of him and effectively securing the small boy to it. When Nat went to check on his brother, the man, who had yet to introduce himself, hauled the young man to his feet by the rope that still encircled him and forced him back a step or two.

"Boy, tie him up nice 'n' tight to that trunk, if you don't want me ta shoot yah both, so's his legs are straight out in front of him and he's facing the other tree. When yer done, I'll let yah move to the other tree. Sit with your back against it so's yer toes kin almost touch his toes. Do anythin' but what I tell yah, and yer little brother will be dead."

Nat obeyed. Silently nodding for Adam to sit still while he bound him to the tree. He made the knots appear to be so tight that Adam, understanding his brother's intention, cried out as if he were in pain. When he was done, he moved toward the other tree, watching the man to see what he might do. What he did was yank on the rope with which he'd lassoed Nat, throwing him to the ground in the process. Only then did he stuff his pistol in his belt. Pulling the rope tight, he walked around the larger tree encircling the older boy with another coil of the rope with each circuit. Each time, he pulled the rope tighter. By the time he'd circled the tree five times Nat couldn't move. The man secured the rope, making sure Nat was seated just the way he'd been told. He pulled his cuffed hands between two coils of the rope and then tightened the rope even more.

The man then turned to Adam. He untied all of Nat's loose knots and retied the coils so that Adam also couldn't move. All the boys could do was turn their heads from side to side or stare at each other or the man. The man said nothing as he grabbed hold of a strap from a table, which stood halfway between them and the entrance, where both boys could see it. Only then, holding the strap in his right hand, did he sit on a chair by the small table, facing the boys.

"I reckon I'll let ya say somethin' if yah want. "Let's hear what yah got to say, big brother."

"Let Adam go, he's only a little kid. If you're looking to collect a ransom, my folks will pay just as much for me or him as they would for both of us. Also, why'd you make us bury our clothes and saddles even after you set our horses free?"

"It interests me that yer willin' to put yer little brother ahead of yerself. I plan to use that, but I ain't gonna set either of yah free and I don't want a ransom from yer people no matter how much they're willin' to pay. To answer yer question, gettin' rid of yer clothes just makes it harder fer yah to escape and harder fer anyone to find yah, supposin' I wanted yah found while still alive. Also, I won't have ta waste time havin' yah bare yer back and bottoms fer a proper whuppin' with this strap when I think it's time."

The kidnapper was about to continue when Adam cried out, "It don't matter what you do, our pa will find us! He won't quit until he does!"

Yer little outburst suits my purposes too. You boys might just be the best pair yet. Now that the preliminaries are over with, it's time I introduced myself and explained why yer here. Then yah kin tell me more about yerselves. The name's Red Butcher. You boys are the latest to take part in my little experiment to see what older brothers are willin' to do to protect their little brothers and what kind of faith yah got in yer parents, yer pa in particular. I'll untie yah one at a time, but leave yah shackled and cuffed, and set yah to work at whatever task I think needs doin' at the pace I think yah need to do it. Sometimes it won't be no actual chore, just what I feel like havin' yah do at the time. If yah disappoint me, I'll take it out on yer brother's hide with the strap. The amount of food and water the other gits also depends on how well yah perform, as does permission ta relieve yerselves. After dark I'll shackle yah up top. I ain't about ta let yah sleep in the same room as me. Other than that, all I want from yah is some background information."

Adam, feeling every inch the scared five-year-old, cleared his throat and managed to squawk out his name and age when Butcher pointed at him and asked. Nat, who was feeling helpless despite having turned 16, an age when he should by his reckoning be able to keep his little brother safe especially considering their father's reputation for doing just that, was only slightly more forceful when giving his information. By continually threatening each boy in turn Butcher, if that was indeed his name, learned Nat's age. That he was adopted along with his sister Abby before Adam and their younger sister Maria were born and that the family lived on a nearby ranch. Their captor never asked what their father did for a living or how important he was to the nearby town.

"Oh that's excellent. There's 11 years between yah. Yer the best pair yet. Nat you've got the brown hair to Adam's red just as it should be. The others weren't quite right when it came to age or hair color. I don't care if yer folks are as rich as Rockefeller. Money's not what I'm after. Let's see how close yah come to the ideal in yer reactions."


	3. Chapter 3 A Murder Trial

**Chapter 3 - A Murder Trial and Only Women at Home**

Earlier on that hot August day, father and son rode into town together because Albert Goode, the foreman on the Dillon ranch thought he could do without Nat for the day and the boy was behind in his job as clerk at the land office. Matt Dillon's oldest could head for home after having dinner with his father at Delmonico's if his boss agreed, but not Matt. Duty to the law still came before pleasure. Retiring from the US Marshal's Service to become a judge made no difference when it came to the trial of a man who caused the death of his wife. Only now he had to reserve judgment until all the evidence was presented instead of making up his mind as soon as there was enough for an arrest.

The defendant had a history of beating his wife more severely each successive time. This last time he hadn't waited until he'd gotten her home, but started in on her while they were still on Front Street in front of witnesses when he stumbled out of the Bull's Head and then chased her out of Mr. Lathrop's Mercantile where she was looking at curtain material and still hadn't bought his tobacco or brought the wagon round for their return trip home. He'd knocked her unconscious and then drove out of town unaware that Clem Thompson, the newest deputy in Dodge City, had followed and watched as Dean Stoppard stopped the wagon not more than two miles from his farm and lit into her again. Clem had spurred his mount on, but was too late. Although he stopped any further beating, she died from her injuries.

Having finished his dinner, Matt convened the trial. The jury needed very little convincing and returned a guilty verdict within ten minutes. Matt asked if the farmer had anything to say and was surprised by the story he heard.

"Judge, I had no intention of killing her. I know I was drunk, but that's the only way I can get through life. We only been here a short while as you know. I thought if we got away from our old place near Salina, things would improve. They only got worse. Our boys were still gone and Mable seemed to want to put it behind her, but I couldn't. They were found tortured to death some five miles from our farm with a note pinned directly to the older boy's body for me, their pa that read, "They didn't suit. They was too close in age an' both had red hair. E'en so, yah didn't try hard enough to find 'em in time. My boys were only four and nine. 'Fraid I took all the loss out on Mable for seemingly not feelin' as bad as me. Now I think she just held it inside. They never had no clue as to who done it. Now that all my family's dead, I don't care what happens to me. I'll accept any punishment you choose."

Matt was moved by the man's story. He could understand the pain Stoppard must feel after losing his sons, but in Matt's eyes that was no reason to beat his wife to death. He pronounced sentence as 30 years in prison with no chance of parole. The man would be in his 60s when he was finally released.

The trial over, Matt walked to the land office to see if Nat was ready to go home only to find he'd already left. Business was slow so Mr. Green had let the boy go home early. Matt headed home alone, but was stopped by Festus Haggen.

"Matthew, Lionel got a telegram and wants ta jabber with yah. Reckon it's 'bout the yarn that thar wife killer spun. He tole it ta me and Lionel las' night."

Matt followed his former deputy over to his old office. Lionel Walker, Matt's handpicked replacement, was behind the desk with several wires in his hand, which he handed over to Matt.

"What do you think, Matt? Do you see a pattern?" he asked when his boss turned judge finished reading them.

"Yeah, I do. Each one involved two boys, brothers or stepbrothers, at least four years apart in age and with at least one of them with red hair. Some were solved, but most weren't and those that were, was for the convenience of closing a case. Also, whoever is behind this is moving west. Your prisoner's story fits the pattern."

"That's how I reckon it. Your boys are probably fine, but you have to admit they do fit the pattern and the killer might be here. It wouldn't hurt if you had an extra man at your place to kinda help keep an eye on them. Miss Kitty has her hands full with Maria, my Eileen tells me, and even when Abby is home instead of in school, she's a young girl and Albert's got your ranch to look after while you're in court. I think Festus should go out to your place, just as a precaution."

"Thanks, Lionel, but I don't think my boys are in any danger. I'd feel it if they were. Besides, I'm quite capable of protecting my family. That's not to say you're not welcome to come for supper tonight, Festus, if you've a mind to."

The two friends arrived at the Rocking Double D, the Dillon ranch, 45 minutes later. They enjoyed a silent, yet companionable ride, but Matt wasn't just silent because neither had much to say. He was trying to shake an uneasy feeling that had come over him as they left town, one that he hoped he could hide from Kitty.

They dismounted and handed the reins of Ruth and Buck to Albert as Kitty, Abby and Maria came running out the door. Actually, Maria waddled to her father. The youngest Dillon child threw her tiny arms around her father's legs in greeting and then ran to do the same to her Uncle Festus before Matt could pick her up. Instead, Festus hefted the dark-haired toddler, who shared her mother's features, onto his shoulders while Matt put one arm around each of the remaining females in his life and escorted them back into the house.

"Festus, what a pleasant surprise! Of course, you're staying for supper."

"Matthew done asked me aw ready, Mz Kitty. Glad ta see yah don't mind him not tellin' yah first on that distance talkin' thang."

Matt's gut twisted because the boys weren't home, but Kitty assured him they'd be along directly from their afternoon of swimming in Saw Log Creek. Her assurance didn't help. He could see she was also worried. They stopped pretending when they heard horses come into the yard. All of them turned at the sound. Matt with his long legs, reached the front door first, but Kitty saw the same thing he did from the window when he opened the door, but not before grabbing a rifle.

"Mister, you got no call to point that rifle at my boy and me. We saw these horses by where we'd camped with my wife in our wagon. From a distance we couldn't tell if they belonged to anyone. It was only after we got a rope on them that we saw they were broke and had a brand on them. A fella we passed when we went lookin' for the owner directed us here. From your expression, I'd say we came to the right place."

By the time Hank Dougherty finished explaining, everyone had come outside and recognized the two horses. Matt's grip on the rifle tightened and Kitty gasped. Matt recovered from the shock first, finding out the name of the two who'd returned Nat and Adam's horses and then barking orders.

"Albert, put the boys' horses up, saddle mine and Festus' mule, then come back to the house. No need to grab a rifle. You can use this one to look after my girls. Abby, run in the house and get my gun belt and a box of shells. Festus, we've got some tracking to do. "Mr. Dougherty, I'll need you and your boy to show us just where you found my sons' horses. We've got one stop to make on the way," he added as Albert came back with the saddled buckskin and mule, "at our neighbors' place over the hill."

Kitty ran up to Matt as he put his left foot in the stirrup. "Cowboy, find them and bring them home."

He stepped down and turned to hug her tightly. "Honey, I promise," he told her then mounted.

Just before the three men and the boy turned to ride to the O'Brien house, Abby put her hand on the deputy's leg. "Uncle Festus, please help daddy all you can to do what mom asked of him. Pesky as they can be, they're still my brothers."

At the O'Brien's door Matt practically jumped down and ran to the door. Newly opened it as he raised his hand to knock so he blurted out, "Get saddled and bring your medical bag with you, my boys are in trouble. I just don't know how bad."

Paula already had the medical bag in her hand as Newly raced for his barn. Her face held the question that John asked, "What happened to Adam and Nat, Uncle Matt?"

"I don't know, but these two strangers brought their horses to our house. Paula, I'm sure glad Newly wasn't out on a call. I don't know how badly they might need him. See you later," Matt added as Newly came riding up and she handed her husband his medical bag.


	4. Chapter 4 Butcher's Way

**Chapter 4 - Butcher's Way**

Red Butcher released Adam first and pointed to a ladder in the corner. Adam tried to lift it, but, as tired, thirsty and now hungry as he was, it was far too heavy and long for him to handle. He collapsed in a heap after barely managing to drag it a foot. He no longer felt like a big boy, he wanted his mama and his pa to pick him up and hold him. The boy managed to lift his head and look at his brother struggling against the ropes that bound him to the tree.

All Nat wanted to do was rush to Adam's side and take over the task the boy was given. It would have been an easy task for him, but their captor must have had a reason for giving it to the smaller of the brothers. Struggle as he might, all he could do was watch as Butcher lassoed the boy and used the rope to drag him back to the tree. He secured him like before and went to Nat. He didn't untie the rope, but loosened it enough so the young man could turn if he managed to stand, but not quite escape. Red made sure of that by pointing his pistol at each boy in turn.

"That was a right pitiful performance, Timmy. That's yer name from now on. I'll have to punish yer brother. Turn around, Fred so yer standin', facin' the tree."

Nat did as he was told and felt the rope coils tighten again. Butcher moved in behind him and unlocked the cuffs from his left hand, grabbing the arm and placing it around the tree while leaning against his right side so he couldn't move that one. He then shifted his weight to Nat's left side, holding him in place while he drew his right arm around the tree as well and secured the free cuff to his left wrist again. Butcher removed the rope, leaving Nat standing, hugging the tree and unable to see Adam.

" I don't believe this is a good angle fer me to whup yah or fer Timmy to watch. It'd be much better if yah was on yer knees as far from the tree as yer arms will stretch. Do it now or I'll use this strap on the boy's face."

Nat hastily, but with difficulty, changed his position. He was kneeling with his head a good three inches from the tree. The man came forward and wedged a broad board against his knees on the ground at an angle against the tree, forcing him to raise his buttocks and tilt his back upward, straining his arms. Again the man stepped back, but Nat heard his return and sensed the forward momentum leading to maximum impact from the strap. After ten hits on his back and buttocks, he lost count and couldn't tell if he or Adam was screaming for Butcher to stop.

It was both boys. Nat from the pain not of the strap, but from knowing his brother was forced to watch. Adam was screaming because he didn't want his brother hurt anymore on account of him. By this time, had the board not been there, Nat would have sagged to the floor. Butcher didn't remove it for a half-hour. When he did, Nat was so stiff and sore he couldn't change position. That's when the crazy man released him, relocked the cuffs and sent him to finish Adam's task. Despite the pain, Nat forced himself to drag the ladder to the hole in the cave's roof and stand it upright.

"A little slow, but I'll let it go this time. Climb up top and gather wood fer the stove. If yer not back down in five minutes I'll take it out on Timmy."

It took Nat six minutes. He also only carried some of the wood he'd gathered, balancing what he could under his left arm so by tilting his cuffed hands he might keep hold of the ladder as he descended. Butcher wasn't satisfied. He sent him back up and told him he'd better scoop up the wood so it filled both arms. Nat did as he was told. He began to climb back down with his arms crammed full of firewood, but slipped when he was a bit more than hallway down. Instinctively he grabbed for the nearest rung, dropping all the wood in the process.

"I reckon yah don't care enough fer yer little brother," he said grabbing Nat around the neck as the boy stooped to gather the wood and slipped a rope around him. "Time to set yah back in place."

Nat struggled to get away and closer to Adam, but the man had too good a hold on him with the rope and soon had him secured to the tree like before. He could do nothing but watch as Butcher put the little boy in the same position he'd been in earlier, complete with the board to hold him in position. Nat found himself yelling for their capture to stop as Adam whimpered as the first blow from the strap struck him. The man continued to strike until the small redhead was crying loudly while his big brother strained at the bonds holding him in place.

Butcher let the boy cry from the pain for five minutes while smirking at a frustrated Nat. Finally, he turned back to Adam and let him up so he could complete his next assigned task.

"Boy, gather up the wood yer clumsy brother dropped and put it in the bin in one trip. Then yah kin fill the stove and light a match to it. They's right there on the shelf. Remember, try anythin' and I'll take it out on Fred's hide."

Somehow Adam managed to pick up and carry the wood in the one trip. He filled the stove with the kindling on top and looked at the shelf. The matches were pushed back and he wasn't sure he could reach them. He started to go for a box to stand on, but Butcher stopped him. Knowing what would happen if he failed, he stood on tiptoe as close to the shelf as he could and by stretching his manacled arms far enough that it hurt, he sent the box of matches toward the floor. Surprising himself, he turned quickly enough to get his hands under the box before it fell. Then, shifting the box to his left hand, he awkwardly removed a match and struck it on the side of the stove. He lit the kindling and tossed the still burning match inside with the wood, which was catching. Again, standing on tiptoe he was able to place the matchbox far enough back on the shelf so it wouldn't fall off, but not so far that he couldn't reach it again without causing pain in his shoulders.

"Yah did better than I thought, but it were still a might clumsy. I'll put off yer brother's whuppin' 'til after yer next task. Yer lucky, the taters is peeled and cut and so's the meat cause I weren't sure I'd git yah here today and a man's got ta eat. Put all the fixins fer the stew in the pot, then carry it over ta the stove fer cookin'. I kin watch yah closely cause I'll be settin' right here next ta yah at the table where I kin still keep an eye on Fred."

Once Adam toted the heavy pot over to the stove and with much effort placed it on a burner to cook, Butcher allowed him to stay by it so he could stir the stew as it cooked. Keeping one eye on the boy, Butcher turned most of his attention to Nat.

"Got ta say, you two are the best ones yet. Yah come the closest. Answer me this. I don't see no marks on you or Timmy. Don't yer pa never beat yah kids and yer ma ta keep yah in line?'

"Pa believes in a firm hand on a firm bottom when we need it, but he'd never take a strap to any of us and he'd never strike ma at all. He'd be the first to stop anybody he saw beating a woman or child. I don't want you to take it out on my brother if you don't like what I've got to say. Would you mind if I asked you a question?"

"I'm feelin' generous. Go ahead. Ask away. I'm even willin' to tell yah about my family if yah ask the right questions."

"I was wondering why you call me Fred and Adam Timmy. Are you Tim Butcher and was your older brother Fred?"

Yep, and he were 12 years older. There was a sister ma brought with her between us. She were three back then. You two are the closest I come to yet 'ceptin' you and yer sis ain't blood kin to neither yer ma or pa so you and yer brother ain't connected like me and mine. How old were you and yer sister when they took yah in?"

"I'd just turned ten and Abs was almost 7. I got another question for you, if it's ok, Mr. Butcher that I didn't ask before. From what you said your pa beat you and the rest of your family. Did he beat you more than your brother or sister and were you naked when he did?"

"Yer a smart kid. Yeah, he did once I turned five, yer brother's age. Pa believed in regular beatins with a strong strap just the way I been beatin' on you two. He were a hard man to please so there was always extra beatins fer not doin' things just right. It were rare he didn't put the blame on me fer whatever even if it were my brother or sister or even my ma at fault. I added blamin ya fer yer brother's mistakes to make it fairer, like it shoulda been back home. Reckon yer gettin' used ta it."

Nat nodded. He was beginning to understand the man and knew he had to get Adam away from him or his father just might arrive too late. He tried to keep Butcher talking to keep his attention away from Adam as long as possible, but began to think that might backfire. He didn't want Adam punished for some perceived incompetence on his part.

Time passed and Butcher walked to the stove to check on the stew. He jerked the ladle out of Adam's hand and dipped it into the pot, bringing up just enough for a taste. Tossing the utensil back in the pot, he nodded for Adam to move back to his tree. He secured the boy so he was facing his older and bigger brother before releasing Nat and directing him to the stove. The young man looked around for a couple of towels to grab hold of the handles of the heavy, hot pot but couldn't locate any but a couple of very thin rags dumped in a basin for washing dishes. He folded them over as many times as he could, but could still feel the heat building as he toted the large pot over to the table and put it down. That was before Butcher told him to retrieve the ladle with his bare hand. Nat used his left hand, fished it out as quickly as he could and then used the folded towels to hold it while he ladled stew onto Butcher's plate.

Nat left the ladle on the table and held onto the towels as he returned to the stove to fetch the pot of coffee, bring it to the table and pour it into Butcher's cup. Adam had already measured out the coffee and set it to boiling. The man took a bite of stew and a sip of coffee and glared at Nat.

"I never give yah no permission to use them cloths and then yah went and dirtied them and the table. 'Sides, yah didn't set my plate, fork and spoon in front of me so's they was easy ta hand. Then, there's settin' that hot pot on the table stead of holdin' it with one hand whilst yah dished out the stew and not carryin' it back ta the stove ta keep warm case I wanted more later while yah fetched the coffee. Timmy will have ta be whupped fer it all and fer yer clumsiness with the wood. I ain't fergettin' that. You have a whuppin' comin' too," he added as he took another bite of the stew and sip of the coffee. "He were a tad slow with gettin' the stove started so's he could cook my meal and it don't taste as good as it should. That'll come later after yah finish servin' me all I want and yer other chores is done."


	5. Chapter 5 The Search Begins

**Chapter 5 - The Search Begins**

Matt, Festus, Newly, Hank Daugherty and his son Colin rode hard and fast toward Saw Log Creek and the Daugherty family camp. Hank hailed his wife as they rode up so as not to scare her. She was busy cooking their evening meal over a campfire. Her man quickly introduced the three strangers with him, who dismounted long enough to be polite and get a fix on the exact spot where Colin first spotted Nat and Adam's horses.

"Supper's 'bout ready. Please join us before you set out."

"Thank you, ma'am," Matt replied, "but I'm anxious to get a fix on the trail while it's still light so we can get to my boys. I've got an uneasy feeling about what might have happened since your husband and boy found their horses running free."

"Harriet, this here's Judge Dillon, Deputy Haggen and Doc O'Brien. Mr. Dillon and his woman recognized the horses as soon as Colin and I rode up to their house. If a stranger brought back Colin's horse like that I'd be plum worried too and anxious to get to him."

Harriet Daugherty gave in to her husband's logic and merely watched as her menfolk showed the three where the two horses were found. Matt and Festus studied the tracks, tracing them back to the creek to where they'd come out of the water.

Leaving the Daughertys behind, Newly, Matt and Festus crossed to the far side of the stream. Although the former and current lawman dismounted so they could study the ground closely, Festus, the better of the two at tracking, located the trail they were looking for first. The two men, only a few minutes later, mounted again, keeping an eye to the ground following the tracks of the two horses, one, Adam's Indian pony, smaller than the other. Although the tracks once spotted were fairly clear neither man wanted to take a chance on losing sight of them, so it was slow going. It was beginning to grow dark and they still hadn't located where the horses were set free somewhere farther upstream.

They were at the far northwest edge of the Dillon property when Matt looked back at the creek and realized that this was the new fishing hole the boys mentioned the other day. Even in the fading light he could tell that the water formed a deep pool, just right for swimming. He called for his friends to halt and dismounted. Despite the twilight, he could see the footprints of a nearly grown and a still small boy when he squatted down for a closer look at the ground. Festus soon joined him and pointed to the hoof prints of a third horse closely joining the two they'd been following. These trailed behind the prints made by the boys' bare feet.

What they'd observed didn't ease Matt's mind at all. His boys were obviously in danger. Could it be the same man who'd killed Stoppard's sons and maybe all the other boys Lionel had told him about? He couldn't take any chances. The three men walked in front of their horses as the three-quarter moon rose giving them barely enough light so see the trail in front of them. Just as the light failed them completely, they came to the spot where the boys' horses were set free. They were now on open range between the southeastern edge of the Sanderson ranch and the western edge of the O'Brien ranch. There were a lot of blind canyons and hidden clearings ahead. As much as he hated to admit it, they had to stop for the night or run the risk of wasting even more precious time doubling back to find the trail again.

Reluctantly, Matt ordered his companions to make camp for the night under some nearby cottonwoods. Dejectedly, the three men unsaddled and tethered their horses, using their saddles as pillows and the saddle blankets as a buffer against the hard ground as they prepared to get a few hours sleep. Although each man lay silently on his makeshift bed, none of them got any real rest as the dark night gradually turned to dawn.

The three were saddled and ready to move on in less than five minutes. Again Matt and Festus carefully studied the ground where the horses were turned loose. The footprints made by the two boys walking ahead of the man on horseback were much deeper than they should have been with an indication of a shuffling gate. Matt had seen this before with army work gangs during the war and on his visits to the various prisons and army prison details at forts around Kansas. They were carrying something heavy and were in irons. His heart sank further, as he urged his friends onward at as fast a pace as they dared. He wasn't about to risk losing the trail now despite sensing they needed to find the boys fast.

Finally, at about eight that morning Festus spotted a deviation. The deeper, shuffling footprints veered off toward a clump of bushes and were followed by a man's boot prints. His heart in his throat, Matt trailed after his former deputy into a stand of dense bushes. At the center was a clearing with two freshly dug holes. The holes were deep and long enough to bury a body, although one was significantly longer than the other. Beside each was the saddle, saddle blanket and bridle along with a bundle of clothes. These would presumably cover the bodies. Matt grimaced and choked back an anguished cry as he recognized them. They belonged to Nat and Adam.

Newly had joined Matt at what could only be graves prepared in advance. There was nothing else you could call them. He sympathized with his friend, but the anguish wasn't his. His two sons, John and Liam, were safely at home with their mother Paula. Festus meanwhile had found where the trail picked up again, skirting the bushes that hid the graves and heading off further to the north and west into the start of a small area of caves that were well hidden from the casual traveler.

"Matthew, I know where they's aheadin'. I reckon that varmint's stashed Nat 'n' Adam in one o them caves up ahead."

"I know where you mean, Festus. I only hope we're not too late. Whatever we do, we'll have to approach carefully. I'm not taking any chances getting them killed if they're somehow still alive."


	6. Chapter 6 A Night Outdoors

**Chapter 6 - A Night Outdoors**

Butcher secured Nat to his tree, after the lad covered the remains of the stew, and released Adam, but kept a rope around him. He sent the small boy scampering up the ladder with his hands filled with the dishpan containing the supper dishes, the towels Nat used, a washrag, a dry towel and a bar of soap. Adam somehow managed to scamper up the ladder without dropping anything or slipping and falling even with the shovel he'd used earlier tucked under his left arm.

When they reached the top, Butcher directed him toward a small stream of water that flowed down the hill toward the creek three miles away. Several small pools were formed by depressions in the uneven ground. Adam put the shovel and dishpan down by the lowest pool, removed the soap, washrag and clean towel before putting it and what remained in the pan in the pool to soak. Butcher tugged on the rope forcing him to stand while he was still bent over, instructing him to retrieve the shovel and move down the steep path at the back of the rise that covered the cave.

"Dig," Butcher ordered when they reached the site where his and Nat's clothes were buried, "after you clear your junk out. I ain't got all night."

Adam moved his stuff aside and dug, but it was hard. It would have been difficult even if he weren't tired, hungry, thirsty and scared. With his hands cuffed and feet shackled it was awkward and nearly impossible. What made it worse was that if he didn't satisfy Butcher Nat would feel that strap again. Somehow he managed. He trudged back up the steep hill, his captor's rope making him keep to the pace the man wanted despite feeling his legs had dead weights on them, which in a sense they did due to the leg irons. He then washed the dishes and carried them back into the cave past Nat. There was one more trip up the ladder and back. This time with two buckets of water to help fill the water barrel. Try as he might, he couldn't avoid spilling some. It's impossible when you miss the last few rungs and fall. He spilled half of it.

Butcher secured Adam to his tree, but on the roof of the cave so he could watch him release Nat. The older lad repeated his brother's trip down the steep back slope and the couple of miles to where the boys' possessions were while carrying a full sized shovel. He dug further into the hole that had held his clothes and horse's rig and was just as awkward about it as his younger brother. He too managed to spill about half the water he carried when they returned, put the shovel away in the cave, grabbed two pails and fetched the water at the upper pool.

Butcher swatted Nat across the face and shoved him toward the ladder after the boy poured what remained in the water barrel. The lad climbed it, but, taking advantage of the loosened rope, waited at the top for the man to emerge. He rushed at his captor and managed to bowl him over, but the hole was narrower than he thought so the man merely sprawled across it and didn't fall through. Butcher recovered quickly, tightening the rope he still held around Nat, jerking the lad off his feet and dragging him toward the tree.

This time Butcher chained him to the tree so he was standing up with his arms wrapped around the tree with the leg irons around the tree and his feet. The powerful red-haired man then went to the cave for the strap and beat Nat with it until Adam was screaming as loud as he could for him to stop and Nat was near to passing out from the pain. Butcher released the stunned lad's feet and arms and roughly turned him around so his back, full of fresh and old welts, was against the rough bark. Then he pulled the boy's arms behind him, fastened the cuffs to his hands that were now around the trunk and secured the leg irons on his feet around the tree. That done, he loosened Adam's bindings enough so he could make the boy stand up and turn to face the tree, chaining him to it just like he'd done earlier with his big brother.

Butcher proceeded to beat the young boy harder and longer than his brother, ignoring the younger's sobs of pain until he passed out and the older one's non-stop insistence that he was the one that should get another whipping instead. Their captor kept striking Adam with the strap long after it became obvious the only reason he was still standing was the irons holding him in place. Only when his arm finally tired did the man remove Adam from the tree and lay him prone on the ground with his arms above his head. Using a new set of irons with a longer chain between, he secured each hand and foot so that the cuff clicked around the peg and the limb, stretching his arms and legs as far apart as the new chain allowed without quite pulling them from their sockets.

Nat wanted more than ever to attack the beast in front of him, but was afraid whatever he might try, he was too sore and weak from the forced labor, beatings, hunger and thirst to do anything but cause more injury to Adam. It didn't matter, because the choice was taken from him with a blow to his stomach that knocked all the air out of him before he was released from his chains. All he could do was stagger toward the area already marked out for his taller body as Butcher tugged him forward by the rope thrown and then tightened around his waist. Their tormentor then shoved him to the ground, securing one end of the rope to an extra iron post behind his head. Not until both legs and one arm were secured to the pegs in like manner to Adam's binding did Butcher remove the rope and attach his left arm to the final peg.

"That should do for the night," Butcher commented almost to himself. "It was right foolish of yah, Fred ta try what yah did. Timmy paid fer it."

"Maybe it was," Nat replied to the taunt, "Still I had to try it while there was a chance I could free Adam and he could get away. You may think you have the upper hand, but you're a dead man as soon as our pa gets here."

"Think what you want, boy. I doubt yer pa will find yah here. Weeks or even months from now someone might find yer bodies in the graves yah dug. I hear some of my past failures were found, but nowhere near all of 'em since I began my experiments outside Lawrence. Might's well tell yah my story 'cause I ain't quite ready for sleep. When I'm done, I'll leave yah 'til morning."

Butcher paced between the two boys revealing his tale of an abusive childhood and his subsequent series of experiments, as he called them. An hour later he left the boys to the falling temperatures while he headed to the shelter of the cave and a comfortable night's sleep. Nat managed to turn his head toward his brother, but it didn't help him see if Adam was still breathing. Finally, he fell into an exhausted sleep praying that his father would arrive before they were both dead.


	7. Chapter 7 A New Day Dawns

**Chapter 7 - A New Day Dawns**

Nat Dillon awoke with the sun in his eyes. He turned his head away from the glare and would have cried out in pain for his effort if he'd had the strength. Instinctively he'd turned toward where his little brother was staked out, but couldn't even make out if the boy's head was turned toward him. Next thing he knew, Tim Butcher was looming over him.

The strong man had brought a stool with him. He placed it next to Nat and disappeared from his view, but soon returned with a plate of eggs and side meat and a cup of coffee and sat down to eat.

"Yer awake. Don't know about Timmy yonder," he said between mouthfuls. "Hope it didn't get too cold overnight, but not to worry. It will soon be more'n hot enough. Looks ta be another August scorcher," he added as he picked up a cup Nat hadn't seen and poured the water it contained on the ground next to the young man's head.

Nat found he was too parched to reply. Instead, he tried to see beyond Butcher to where Adam lay. The effort didn't escape the man, who refilled the cup and poured the water out by Adam's head, making sure Nat could see it. Then he returned to the stool to continue his meal, periodically waving the bacon and forkfuls of eggs under the lad's nose just out of reach of his mouth. Finally, he finished eating and surprisingly released Nat so he could, while still chained, carry the breakfast dishes to the pool to wash them, dry them and put them away in the cave, making it clear that any attempt at escape would result in another beating for Adam.

Nat forced himself to move through the pain and weakness. He somehow managed to clean the dishes and get up and down the ladder with the soap, dishrag and towels and everything else Butcher had brought outside with him. He could hardly remain standing when he made the final climb up the ladder with the man he now knew would be his murderer right behind him. All he wanted now was to see if Adam was still breathing and turned in that direction, but Butcher grabbed him from behind and threw him to the ground. Nat couldn't get up, so he meekly submitted to being staked out again.

"Adam don't matter now, 'cause both of you will soon be dead. He ain't dead yet but it's real close so I won't bother to take the strap ta him agin. You ain't in much better shape, but will be more fun 'cause yer awake. I don't mind tellin' yah, you boys mighta lasted longer had yah larned yer place better and not tried to get me last night. Course, that ain't the only reason I'm puttin' an end ta yah. You tried too hard to help yer little brother and won't give up on yer pa carin' enough to try to save yah."

Nat knew time was running out and it wasn't just the large knife in Butcher's hand. He'd called his brother Adam, not Timmy. Nat choked off a scream at the first cut in his left arm. Another jab and slice of the knife went in his left leg. Then it was his right leg and this time he screamed despite his parched throat as he felt the blood seeping down the leg and then he felt the knife plunge into his right arm. There were several more cuts to his torso before he passed out, his last thought being that Adam was next.

Matt Dillon, Festus Haggen and Newly O'Brian dismounted from their horses as they approached the small waterfall at the rear of the plateau where Butcher was finishing making the multiple shallow yet painful cuts into Nat except for the one cut into his right leg. It was relatively shallow, but the blood was flowing freely from it. The worried father and his two friends knew nothing of this. They weren't even sure it was the right place, but Matt followed his gut feeling and began to explore the area. He saw what looked like fresh footprints that matched Nat's large feet, now as big as his own. The strange thing was they were farther apart than the one's they'd been following since last night to the graves.

Matt sent Festus down the path, where the footprints did match those from last night, while he and Newly climbed stealthily up the incline at the rear. Newly emerged in the cottonwoods behind and off to the side from where Adam was staked. He stayed hidden, holding his medical bag, which he'd thought he might need, waiting for Matt's signal. Meanwhile, the retired marshal's head peered over the rise where his eye caught what looked like a prisoner staked out Indian style. Drawing his gun he raced to the spot only to find it was his son Nat, whose leg was bleeding profusely. The man responsible was bending over his younger son, the one conceived on his honeymoon with Kitty, with a knife.

"Get away from him and drop the knife or you're a dead man!" Matt yelled while trying to stop the flow of blood from Nat's leg.

The man turned, but instead of dropping the knife threw it, striking Matt in the left shoulder as he turned and raced forward. Matt fired his gun, but distracted by the blood pouring from Nat's right leg and the pain in his shoulder, his bullet barely grazed the burly man as he disappeared down a hole. Slowly, he became aware he was yelling for Newly, who had stopped to see to Adam, to come help stop the bleeding. Before Ford County's younger doctor could reach his side, they heard two shots fired.

"He's dead, Matthew. He give me no choice," Festus stated as he came up to the mesa from the cave below. "How'r the young'uns?"

"Alive, but barely," Newly replied. "Festus, is there any way to heat my instruments so I can sterilize them? I'll also need fresh water to wash Matt and Nat's wounds and to try to get some down the boys' throats. Then you can ride that mule of yours back to where we left the Dougherty's. We'll need their wagon to get everyone home."

Newly managed to suture the severed artery so Nat's leg was no longer bleeding while Festus went back down the ladder. By the time he returned with the water, he was cleaning Matt's shoulder so he could see the extent of the damage. As usual, the protests of the lawman turned judge that it didn't matter about him, went unheeded. Festus was the one who lifted Adam's head and pushed the cup of water between his lips after completing releasing him from the bonds Newly hadn't gotten to before Matt called him to Nat's side. Festus then did the same for Nat. He made one more trip into the cave to toss the keys to the irons around the boys' ankles and wrists up to Matt and Newly before galloping off on Ruth.

Matt unlocked the irons on both his sons and tossed them into the cave below. Showing his impatience, he paced back and forth from Nat to Adam wishing there was something he could do before Festus returned. Meanwhile, Newly put salve on the welts raised by the strap that Butcher had repeatedly used on their exposed backs and buttocks. Finally, Newly could no longer take Matt's pacing.

"Why don't you go downstairs and look for whatever evidence you can find. I know there won't be a trial and the piece of trash that did this is dead, but at least it will keep you occupied. You know I'm doing everything I can to keep these boys alive."

Resigned to the fact there was nothing else he could do until the wagon arrived, Matt descended the ladder after sticking the keys to the irons in his pants pocket. He put the damper on the stove, removed the coffee pot before it boiled out and kicked the dead body several times with his boots. He knew it really made no difference, but it made him feel better. It was something he'd much rather have been doing while the redheaded demon lying on the cave floor was still alive. With a great deal of effort he stopped himself from mutilating the body and looked for what had produced the welts on his boys' backsides. He soon found the strap on the table where Butcher had left it when he picked up the knife.

It was early afternoon when the small band pulled up in front of the Dillon house. Kitty rushed out to meet them, followed closely by Abby, Albert, Paula and John. Maria, the youngest Dillon and the younger O'Brian boy Liam were asleep in Maria's room. Kitty reached the wagon as Matt emerged carrying the still unconscious Adam, now wrapped in one of the blankets from the cave, snuggled against his right shoulder. She threw her arms around both of them while peaking around her husband for a glimpse of her oldest child. Only after feeling more than seeing Matt wince, did she notice his left arm was in a sling.

Neither parent wanted to be far from their sons so they placed both of them in Nat's larger bed. Once they were bathed and new salve applied to their welts, they were clad in clean pajamas. Once the boys were settled, Newly took the time to thoroughly examine the knife wounds on all three of his patients and put fresh bandages on them. Abby hovered nearby while Albert Goode went to the barn to take care of the morning chores that had somehow been forgotten and Paula went to fix a meal for the returning menfolk and the Daughertys, who she prevailed upon to remain at least for a while longer.

As soon as Newly finished his ministrations, Kitty turned to him and asked, "I know Matt will survive his wound, but what about the boys? How bad are they hurt?"

"You're right about Matt, Kitty. The wound was fairly deep, but it didn't hit anything vital. He'll be stiff for a week or so, but it'll heal nicely. I can't say for certain about Nat and Adam except that Nat would already be dead if we'd arrived any later than we did. Both boys still have a long way to go, but I'll know more about their chances once they're awake. All I know is they're severely dehydrated and completely worn out physically and that's without taking into account the beatings. Before you ask, unless they tell us, I don't think we'll ever know the extent of the abuse they suffered. I sure can't tell from simply examining them."

It was late evening and the August sun was setting. The Daughertys had gone to town with Festus, who promised to bring Doc back in the morning and the O'Brien family were over the hill back in their own home, only a phone call away if there should be any change. Newly assured them there was nothing more he could do for now so Matt and Kitty sent them home. Abby and Albert joined her parents in Nat's bedroom from which she'd left just long enough to put her baby sister into her crib for the night.

Following instructions, the four people in the room had made every attempt to get at least a few sips of water between the lips of the two unconscious boys. Their reflexes had allowed them to swallow a cupful each. Still, the parents, sister and foreman, who was more a cousin than a hired hand, kept an anxious watch for any sign of improvement or decline. Matt sat next to Nat's head with Abby beside him looking at his older son's pale face while Kitty sat opposite him with Albert opposite Abby in a similar pose next to Adam. Both parents periodically softly brushed hair off each boy's forehead or squeezed a hand. The movement was so slight, they almost didn't notice it, but there was soon no doubt.

"Mama, Pa," Adam croaked as his eyes fluttered open. "Water."

Matt was around to the other side of the bed in two strides with a glass of water in his hand. As Kitty held the boy's head up, Matt put the glass to his lips.

"That's enough for now, son. Rest easy," whispered the relieved father.

Adam drifted off to sleep, tuckered from the effort of asking his parents for water and drinking it. Despite the relief, the group continued their vigil. Two hours later Nat opened his eyes. He too asked for water but his whisper was so soft they almost didn't hear it. He too drifted into a normal sleep after the effort of drinking a few sips. Nat remained asleep, but Adam awoke after another four hours of sleeping complaining he was hungry as well as thirsty. Kitty fed him some beef broth while Matt, simply glad to see his sons were alive shushed him when he tried to talk about what happened. It wasn't long before he too was asleep again.

Albert excused himself and headed to his rooms in the barn. Abby looked at her parents and wondered if they'd listen to her.

"Ma, Pa, I can sit up with them if you want. I'll come get you if either of them wakes up before morning."

"Stay here sweetie, if you want, but your father and I aren't leaving this room tonight. We're still worried about your brothers. However, each of us will take turns looking in on Maria until both boys are awake."

As the sun rose the next morning all the Dillons, including little Maria were gathered in Nat's room. None of them had gotten much sleep, except for the two boys in the bed. Adam was again the first to awake. This time he was stronger and more aware of the pain from the knife cuts and welts from the beatings with the strap. That's when Albert entered with Newly, Paula, John and Liam carrying breakfast trays and Newly's doctor's bag.

Adam tried to stand to eat his breakfast, but found his legs were too weak to hold him up for long and the pain was still there. Matt and Kitty, after Newly changed the dressings on his wounds, finally got him settled back in bed, propped up on pillows and as many other soft things as they could find to place behind him and still have something left over for Nat when he at last awoke. Since Maria wasn't still fully weaned, Kitty was forced to excuse herself to take care of the needs of her youngest child. Newly by this time had moved on to tending to Nat with Abby assisting him. Paula had her hands full keeping her two young boys from getting in the way and Albert had retreated to the barn after eating his eggs and ham before they got cold. This left Matt the task of helping his independent minded younger son get the soft boiled eggs and toast that Newly would allow him down his gullet. Adam did manage to hold the glass of milk with both hands, but that was only after he'd built his strength up by downing the egg, and rasher of bacon.

Everyone who was awake had managed to eat something and Paula and her children had returned to their home when the next round of people arrived. Festus had returned with Doc and Lionel Walker, the young man from Denver Matt had trained as his replacement. Doc led them straight to Nat's room, but it was Festus who spoke first.

"Mornin' Matthew, Mz Kitty, Mz Abigail. I brung Doc with me just like yah asked, but Lionel jist had ta come along too. Mornin' ta yah too, Adam. Didn't notice you was awake at first."

"Just ignore him. You know he's insufferable. Right now I need to make sure my grandsons haven't suffered at the hands of that young man who calls himself a doctor. Of course, I gave him most of his training, so I suspect he didn't do too badly at restoring them to health."

"Grandpa?" came the whispered question. This was followed by an even softer whisper, "water."

Doc went immediately to Nat, the older of the two boys he looked upon as grandsons, who was obviously now awake. Everyone waited patiently and silently while the old man assured himself that the two boys in his adopted family would heal.


	8. Chapter 8 A Satisfactory Conclusion

**Chapter 8 - A Satisfactory Conclusion**

Doc was satisfied with the results of his examination. Nat was ready to talk about their experiences once he had water and a bit of food in him and Adam was also anxious to tell about their ordeal. Still, they wondered why Lionel had come.

"Sorry to intrude in on you now, but after Festus brought in the body and made his report, I sent out a bunch of telegrams to all those places with similar kidnappings. Luckily this one didn't end like the others. He's been drifting steadily west. I still don't know who he was, but I think I traced him back to just outside Lawrence. That's where the first crimes took place, two years ago. I just thought I should let you know in person rather than over the telephone."

"I can fill you in some, Lionel. In between beatings, I got him to talking. His name was Tim Butcher. He was known as Red and was from a small town just outside Lawrence where his pa was a blacksmith. He learned the trade and fashioned the irons he put on us himself. He had an older brother Fred from his pa's first marriage, but the woman died and his pa married up with his ma. She'd been married before, but her man was killed in the war so she had a little girl to raise herself. When Tim was born, Fred was 12 and his sister was three. Seems Fred the oldest was the favorite. He got beat the least, but all the kids and his missus felt the strap on their bare bodies. Tim got the worst of it once he turned five. He got the blame for everything his pa thought was wrong especially if the one at fault was Fred who had no qualms about shifting the blame. 'Fraid I can't help anymore 'cept to say he might have killed his pa."

"Thanks, Nat. At least now I have a name and maybe I can contact his next of kin, if he's got any. Not that I believe he deserves it, but they might want to know. Matt, mind if I use your telephone to try to reach Lawrence? Eileen will relay it."

Lionel never got the chance to contact his girl, Eileen Fallon, who worked part-time as a seamstress and part-time as the operator of Dodge City's not very old, but expanding telephone service. Instead, Dodge City's newest deputy, Clem Thompson, stopped by with a woman and her husband, to provide the rest of the story.

"Glad to see you folks fared much better than the others whose lives my brothers touched. My name's Brenda Taylor and this is my husband Ike. He's the head telegraph operator in Lawrence. The wires Marshal Walker sent made him think we might have located my brother Tim. We caught the first train and arrived this morning. Tim interfered when pa beat ma yet again, but this time it was so bad he killed her. He came close with both Tim and me, but Fred only got ordinary whippings and few of them. None of us three reported it or the fact Tim was so enraged he also killed pa. Fred, who was as mean as pa, saw his chance and made it look like the forge overturned and ma and pa were burnt to death. He also saw it as his chance to get me since we weren't blood kin like I was with Tim. He beat Tim and kicked him out, but Tim came back and killed him while I was off with Ike, who I'd been seeing secretly. Nothing could be proven so Ike and I married and Tim took over the blacksmith shop. Then, after the first killing, he disappeared and was soon forgotten."

"I made the connection when I saw those telegrams and thought maybe we could reach Dodge City in time to prevent another tragedy. Brenda agreed. Turns out we were too late to stop the kidnapping, but Judge Dillon, you did what nobody before could. You stopped the killing before your own sons were added to Tim's list. He could be a charmer, but after he killed Fred, all his demons spilled forth when he was alone with his victims. The way I figure it, he'd spot two boys, who acted like brothers, watched them to learn all he could about them and then struck once he had the opportunity."

Ike and Brenda agreed to transport their brother's body and all his effects back to Lawrence where they lived and bury him quietly next to her parents and older brother. Lionel left with Clem and the Taylors, but Festus, much to Doc's chagrin, stayed on for most of the afternoon. Still, he was a big help to Albert and left right after supper, which was eaten in Nat's room. With the boys' continued improvement, Doc agreed that Adam could be moved to his own room and feel free to roam the house in the morning, but Nat had to remain in bed because of his right leg. He was taking no chances the knife wound would start to bleed again.

"Godpa, do I hafta sleep in my room? What if the mean man comes back and takes me again? I could scream and nobody would hear me but Nat and he might not be able to help just like when we got took and Godpa, you'd be a room past Nat and you're old and slow. Pa, you and mama sleep in the other wing so you can be near Maria who's too young to be without her mama nearby so you might not hear me and if you did, it might be too late. I know he meant to kill us. He made us dig our own graves."

Doc looked at Matt and Kitty for a response to their young son's fears, his face momentarily displaying delight at the name his godson had invented for him. Before either parent could reassure the five-year-old, Nat added his feelings.

"I don't mind if the squirt shares my bed tonight if it makes him feel safer. Are you sure Butcher's dead, pa? I know Uncle Festus shot him after your shot just winged him and the Taylors said they'd take the body to Lawrence with them, but are you sure he's dead?"

"Yep. If he wasn't dead from Festus' bullet, he was dead from the hard kicks of my boots. You can sleep soundly tonight with no worry of him showing up."

"I'll have no trouble sleeping, but Adam's still a boy. We'd have been tortured to death if you, Uncle Newly and Uncle Festus hadn't shown up when you did. That's enough to give him nightmares. No offense, Ma, but you had nightmares years after what happened to you."

Kitty did take a slight offense at her 16-year-old son's implication that as a woman she was weak like a young boy, but she realized he was covering his own fear of the nightmares he most probably would suffer. Her extended Dodge family's love, especially Matt's, had helped her come to terms with what Jude Bonner and his Dog Soldiers had done to her body and self-esteem. Even so, it took nearly a year for the nightmares to completely stop and that was after she'd watched Bonner hang and be buried. Still, it was an experience that would never leave her. The nightmares returned with a vengeance after three of the Dog Soldiers escaped from prison and stole Matt's spare horse from ten-year-old Nat not far from this very house.

Nat and Abby had just come to live with them at the Long Branch where they'd turned her rooms and an adjoining room into an apartment with its own entrance. Abby, not quite seven at the time, had burst into the room at the sound of her screams to find Matt trying desperately to comfort her. Somehow they'd manage to convince the girl to go on into her brother's room where he was supposed to remain in bed to allow his severely sprained ankle to heal. She and Matt had explained in terms that young children could understand the reason for her nightmares, which didn't go away completely until the prison authorities reported their deaths after another escape attempt. Matt placing them in his jail wasn't enough. They were too close and she knew they were aching for a chance to escape and get revenge on the town and marshal who'd arrested them again by repeating what they'd done to her and now their soon to be adopted children. It would have been even worse had she known she was pregnant with Adam.

It was much easier, if more troublesome to the adults present to arrange things for the night. Abby, who was now 13, and hence more than old enough to fathom the implications of the situation, readily volunteered to keep an ear out for any cries from her one-year-old baby sister from her room across the hall in the other wing. Doc quickly assured Adam and Nat that it was probably better medically if Adam didn't walk to his own room or, to his embarrassment, need to be carried there because he hadn't regained the strength to walk down the hall to his own door. All three adults agreed time and support from their parents and adoptive grandfather would allow the boys to overcome their ordeal even if they never forgot it.

Matt and Kitty sent Abby, after a kiss goodnight, to bed in her own room in the opposite wing across from Maria's room. Bidding the boys goodnight with a squeeze of Nat's hand and a peck on Adam's brow, the three adults exited the room, leaving the door open in case there was need for quick entry during the night. Doc turned left and shuffled into the room that was always ready for him after bidding a goodnight to the two people he looked upon as a daughter and son-in-law who was as close as a son. They continued across the hall to the guest bedroom. Although Doc also left his door open in case his patients needed him, they, despite concern for their sons, closed the door to the room where they'd spend the night and, for the first time in three nights, returned to their normal routine ending with the two of them wrapped in each other's arms in a duplicate of their big brass bed.


End file.
